The Star Tribune reports former Minnesota Vikings RB Robert Smith signed a one-year contract this week with ESPN that contains an option for another year, which can be exercised by the network. Smith's initial focus will be college football. He will be on ESPNews Thursday, Sept. 28 and Saturday, Oct. 1 and also could contribute to "College Game Day" from the network's studios in Bristol, Conn.

According to Vikings.com, former Minnesota Vikings RB Robert Smith decided to retire from the NFL following his most productive professional season in order to avoid further injury and because he felt the team was headed in the wrong direction. "It's tough to say good-bye to that game at any time I'm sure, but especially after your best season," Smith said. "With the possibly of a big contract, all those kind of things, there were more reasons for me to leave the game at that point than to stay around from the possibility of injuring myself again. To I think the situation of the team in Minnesota, I think the team was falling apart, basically. I think a lot of players were leaving and the prospects weren't looking that great for the next years. I thought it would be better to get out of there." Smith is currently working on his first novel titled "The Rest of the Iceberg." No release date has been set.

Closing off an old story, the Star-Tribune reports former Minnesota Vikings RB Robert Smith, who retired after the 2000 season, said he wanted to walk away from the game under his own power -- not limp away down the road. Smith said he cannot imagine playing again and will have a book out in the next five or six months. In regards to the speculation that he had problems with his teammates, Smith said that wasn't an issue although he did have a few "run-ins" with Randy Moss.

Bob Foltman reports for the Chicago Tribune Green Bay Packers RB Ahman Green became the team's first running back to have back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons since Jim Brockington in 1971-73. Green was the first back to gain more than 100 yards against the Chicago Bears since Minnesota's Robert Smith broke loose for 170 on Oct. 15, 2000, a span of 20 games.

The Pioneer Press reports the Minnesota Vikings continue to be impressed by rookie RB Michael Bennett. The coaching staff is thrilled with Bennett's athleticism and level of preparedness. Offensive coordinator Sherman Lewis said Bennett rarely makes mistakes, despite the team's playbook being more complicated than his college playbook. "He's ready to play," Lewis said of Bennett. "He's going to make some mistakes, and we know that. There'll be some growing pains." Vikings coach Dennis Green said Bennett is further along at running back as a rookie than Robert Smith was in 1993.

The Baltimore Sun reports Baltimore Ravens head coach Brian Billick called retired RB Robert Smith to see if he'd be interested in coming out of retirement to join the team. Smith gave him the expected response by declining the offer.